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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23253070">Trials of the Light and Dark Hero</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbleWriting65/pseuds/ScribbleWriting65'>ScribbleWriting65</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My Shadow Academia [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Mineta Minoru Doesn't Exist, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Original Character Replaces Mineta Minoru, Sparring</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:27:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23253070</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbleWriting65/pseuds/ScribbleWriting65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There are many things for a hero to learn. From combat to self-control, all experiences will help us grow in one way or another.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>OC/OC, Slim/Dot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My Shadow Academia [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671919</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rescuing the USJ</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys! Here's my latest work: A sort of sequel to My Shadow Academia! This piece covers most of the events that I skipped over in the last MHA/Shadows Crossover. Thanks to @Ciderr Emblem 3 Houses on Discord for proofreading and giving me advice on the piece. Tell me what you think in the comments, and I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey Slim, wake up.”</p><p>The boy jumped as Asui retreated her finger, eyeing him with a subtly amused expression.</p><p>“I wasn’t sleeping,” he yawned, “not entirely, anyway.”<br/>
“Well, we’re here.”</p><p>Slim adjusted his vision, seeing a massive dome outside the bus’s window. The USJ sign above the doors gave the location away, making Slim’s eyes slowly glow with anticipation.</p><p>“What do you think we’ll find in there?” Firefly emerged.<br/>
“As long as it isn’t some lame Q&amp;A stuff, I’m game.” Shade popped out as well.<br/>
“I’ve only read about it, but the USJ has all sorts of simulations for danger zones.” Midoriya piped up, “We’ll likely have to figure out how to use our Quirks to navigate the terrain, maybe even work with other students like Pros do.”</p><p>Slim thought on Midoriya’s words as the class entered the building, being greeted by the Space Hero, Thirteen. Shade silently chuckled at her poofy appearance, just barely catching Thirteen’s question.</p><p>“Now, can anyone tell me why Quirks are regulated?”<br/>
Shade frowned as he raised his hand. “To make sure that we can’t be giving our best at all times, which seems stupid to me. Aren’t we supposed to always be ready to help people?”<br/>
“<em>Shade.</em>” Slim’s eyes glowed black.</p><p>“He has a point. Preparation is essential to hero work, yes, but what happens if you’re in a constricted space, or fighting a villain with a wide-ranged Quirk? If we used our full potential without control, civilians would be put in needless danger.”<br/>
“Still seems dumb.”</p><p>“Besides, Quirks allow for more than engagement in combat, which is what you’ll be training in today. Your class will split off into teams to work on rescue simulations in each of our zones: Ruins, Landslide, Mountain, Conflagration, Flood, and Downpour. You’ll receive further instructions once you reach your respective zone. Any other questions?”</p><p>“Yes. Do you mind if we join this little children’s party?”</p><p>The group focused on the area ahead of them sharply. A black and purple smoke floated at the ground, widening as fierce-looking people emerged, snickering or growling with battle-ready stances. One last figure emerged from the darkness, putting even Shade on edge.</p><p>The figure was a young man who looked to be no older than 20. Gray, decrepit hands clung to his arms and back, one masking his face. The man’s light blue hair was wild, his whole body giving off a dangerous and unpredictable feeling.</p><p>“Hoo boy, I don’t think we wanna get handsy with this guy.” Shade remarked.<br/>
“Really? You’re making puns <em>now, ghost freak!?</em>” Bakugo growled.<br/>
“Sorry, habit.”<br/>
“No matter the case,” Aizawa donned his goggles, “Stay here, and call for help.”</p><p>The students watched in awe as Aizawa leaped down the staircase, quickly incapacitating villains with stunning acrobatics and precise attacks with his Capture Tape.</p><p>“He’s right, we have to call for Pros! Come on!”</p><p>The group followed Thirteen’s instruction, only to be stopped by the purple misted figure, who released a sinister chuckle.</p><p>“Before you leave, I need to know where All Might is. Give me that, and I’ll let you go.”<br/>
“Like hell we’d talk, bastard!”</p><p>Bakugo and Kirishima jumped at the villain and struck, only to be knocked back with an annoyed growl.</p><p>“I won’t let mere children stand in my way. I’ll scatter you all like the bugs you are!”</p><p>The villain launched smoke at the students, who could only cover their eyes and brace as they became encased in the substance. Slim’s vision became clearer just as quick, screaming as he found a pool of water quickly approaching him.</p><p>“Firefly, we gotta merge, <em>now!!”</em><br/>
“R-right!”</p><p>Firefly’s light finished encasing Slim just in time, avoiding the water and an aquatic villain’s bite by a hair as he flew up to a ship, panting as Firefly slid off of Slim, he and Shade looking out to the villain infested waters, sharing gulps with their host.</p><p>“Oh man, now what do we do?” Firefly asked.<br/>
“C’mon Sparky, you make it sound like we’re already defeated.” Shade’s eyes held both arrogance and tension.<br/>
“He’s right Shade. The odds aren’t in our- “</p><p>A <em>thud</em> beside the trio made them jump, seeing Asui and Midoriya panting as they tried to recover.</p><p>“Are you guys okay?” Slim asked.<br/>
“I am.” Asui affirmed. “What about you, Midoriya?”<br/>
“Yeah, thanks to you, Tsu.” Midoriya smiled, which Asui reciprocated.<br/>
“Uh, guys. We still got a problem.”</p><p>The students looked out to the water again, seeing even more villains appear with wicked laughter. All of them shared a gulp as they sat against the boat’s wall.</p><p>“Okay, we gotta get out of here somehow. Anyone got any ideas?” Slim asked.<br/>
Midoriya put his hand to his chin, “What are your guys’ Quirks? Maybe knowing what we can do can help us form a plan.”<br/>
“Alright. I’ll go first.” Asui put her finger to her chin. “I can do pretty much anything a frog can do. Long tongue, jumping, good swimming, the works.”<br/>
“I merge with Shade and Firefly for my powers.” Slim started. “Shade allows me to move through shadows and change my body shape for reach and things like claws.” The ghost smirked as he nodded and Slim continued, gesturing to the wisp beside him, “Firefly allows me to shrink and fly like his namesake. We can also heal people to an extent, as we did with you after the battle exercises, Midoriya. What can you do?”<br/>
“Well, my Quirk basically gives me super strength, but using it breaks my bones.” Midoriya looked to his classmates, Slim looking to the water and Asui before his eyes widened.</p><p>“Wait, if they wanted us to be trapped, why would they send a water-strong person like Asui to a lake area?”<br/>
Midoriya and Asui’s eyes went wide as they looked at Slim and each other, Midoriya putting his hand to his chin. “If they wanted to scatter us for easy targets, they wouldn’t make this big a mistake.”<br/>
“Do you think they don’t know our Quirks?”</p><p>Slim and Midoriya looked to Asui, who had a finger on her chin.</p><p>“That’s gotta be it!” Firefly exclaimed.<br/>
“So they don’t know our powers. What good does that do?” Shade huffed.<br/>
“That’s an element of surprise for us. Now we just need to-“</p><p>The boat began to shake and sink. Shade looked over the side and grimaced as a villain looked up and laughed from the fresh hole in the ship’s hull.</p><p>“Uh, guys. Whatever plan you’ve got, we gotta do it fast!”<br/>
“Crap, we need a distraction! Something to coral the villains into one spot!”<br/>
“What about a target?” Slim had a nervous smile on his face, worrying his classmates.<br/>
“What are you talking about?”</p><p>Asui’s question was answered with a shaky breath from Slim, who looked out to the horizon fiercely before running and jumping off the boat.</p><p>“Hey, villains!”</p><p>The mentioned group followed Midoriya and Asui’s wide-mouthed expressions.</p><p>“What’s this kid doing?”<br/>
“Who cares, more easy pickings for us!”</p><p>“Catch us if you can!”</p><p>Slim quickly merged with Firefly, glowing and shrinking before flying around the villains, laughing as he got a rhythm going, even tricking the villains into hitting each other. The light left the villains to their bickering, rising into the air and growing to Slim and getting his classmates’ attention.</p><p>“If you guys are gonna do something, do it now!”</p><p>Midoriya and Asui snapped to attention as they acted. Midoriya followed Slim’s example, shouting and jumping towards the water, causing a whirlpool with a flick of his fingers. The villains moved their focus from bickering to panicking as the water pulled them in, still trying to catch Firefly. The hero only gave them a cocky salute before flying away, watching Midoriya fly through the air.</p><p>“Now, Asui!”</p><p>The frog girl followed her classmates, stretching out her tongue to Midoriya as she flew. Firefly smiled, feeling relief that the plan was working.</p><p>Only to shift to terror as Asui missed Midoriya.</p><p>“No, no, <em>no! </em>Midoriya!”</p><p>Firefly flew faster than ever, growing into Slim and tackling Midoriya in the air. The green-haired student looked to his classmate with realization and fear.</p><p>“What are you doing? Get out of here!”<br/>
“Not without you, dude! Friends stick together, right?”</p><p>Slim looked to the water below and behind him, grimacing as he looked at the ground ahead and dreading the painful landing.</p><p>‘<em>We won’t let you drown! We’ll save you with our light Midoriya, we promise!!’</em></p><p>Slim began to glow like Firefly, feeling the light spread through his body. However, he was too frazzled from adrenaline to immediately notice his surroundings. The student’s light was spreading to Midoriya as well, giving him a subtle sense of calm as the world shrunk around him.</p><p>“Slim, Slim!”<br/>
The boy looked around, blue eyes going wide as he saw Midoriya and their surroundings.<br/>
“Whoa…We never did this before.”<br/>
“We can talk more later!” Asui’s cry returned Firefly’s focus.<br/>
“R-right!”</p><p>The trio rode the air to solid ground. Firefly grew back to Slim as they approached, leaving no energy for a proper landing. Slim aimed himself at the ground, his lungs being emptied as he threw Midoriya and crashed. Asui and Midoriya quickly recovered, running over to Slim’s still-looking body.</p><p>“Slim! Slim, are you okay?” Asui nudged his body with fearful eyes.</p><p>A soft groan escaped Slim’s lips, being followed by subtle movement and clenched fists. The boy slowly spoke as he rose, each word being carried on a shaky breath, “Y-yeah. We’re good, maybe just…need a minute.”</p><p>Slim took a tiny step before collapsing, just barely being caught by Midoriya with his unbroken arm. The green-haired boy gave a bright and admiring smile.</p><p>“That was incredible. Thank you.”</p><p>Slim gave a softer smile and nod, “Anytime, buddy.”</p><p>The trio walked over to the central plaza, seeing the hand-covered villain from earlier taking on Aizawa. The villain was quick, touching the teacher’s elbow. The students gasped as they hid, watching with horrified eyes as Aizawa’s elbow skin turned grey before falling off as the villain laughed.</p><p>“We’ve gotta do something!” Firefly whispered.<br/>
“What can we do? We’ll likely get caught if-“</p><p>Asui’s words wouldn’t come out as a massive beast appeared from the purple villain’s portal. Dark blue skin that looked like it was struggling to hold in the creature’s massive muscles trembled with each stomping step. Its mouth was similar to a beak, but holding sharpened fangs and looking detached from its head. Slim felt like vomiting upon seeing the monster’s head, holding dead and animalistic eyes surrounded by its brain, out in the open.</p><p>“What the hell is <em>that?</em>” Shade whispered.<br/>
“Whatever it is, we should move before-“<br/>
“Mr. Aizawa!”</p><p>Midoriya turned pale as he covered his mouth, his classmates turning to the person called. Aizawa was barely struggling to escape the beast’s grip, screaming out in pain as said beast broke his arm and slammed his face into the ground; leaving the pavement cracked.</p><p>“Ah, looks like we have some brats that want to play hero! Fine, just a few more game pieces for me to destroy in front of their precious teacher’s eyes! Make Aizawa watch, Nomu!”</p><p>The blue-haired villain was gone when Slim blinked, opening his eyes in horror as his hand was mere inches from Asui’s face. Slim merged with Shade, seeing Midoriya jump and try to take down the villain like he was. While Midoriya’s attempt was blocked by the beast named Nomu, Shade snuck around, punching the smaller villain and throwing him aside. The villain looked to the ghost, growing even more infuriated as Shade’s anger also came with a subtle smirk.</p><p>“Let’s see what you got, pale-face! Surely you can take on some kids without your bodyguard, right?”<br/>
“You…I’ll kill you!!”</p><p>A resounding <em>boom</em> echoed through the facility, bringing everyone’s attention to the entrance. All Might stood at the top of the stairs, bearing gritted teeth and an enraged expression.</p><p>“It’s going to be alright, kids! Because I am here!”</p><p>The Symbol of Peace vanished, taking out several villains faster than anyone could see. He grabbed an unconscious Aizawa and took him aside, setting him down gently before taking on the villain and his pet himself.</p><p>“All Might, let us help!” Midoriya said.<br/>
“It’s all right, young Midoriya! You kids take Aizawa to safety and call for help!”<br/>
“But-“<br/>
“Come on Midoriya, you heard him!” Slim answered. He and Asui were running to Aizawa and lifting him onto their shoulders as All Might reassured Midoriya.</p><p>The students left while the villains were occupied, taking Aizawa back to the entrance. They were surprised to see Bakugo and Kirishima engaging the purple villain, just finishing him off.</p><p>“Don’t make any smart moves or your ass is fried.” Bakugo snarled.<br/>
“Guys, are you okay?” Kirishima asked.<br/>
“We are,” Slim responded, “But Aizawa is hurt bad. Give me some cover, Firefly and I can at least stabilize him.”</p><p>Kirishima nodded as he focused on keeping the villain down. Slim laid Aizawa against the wall, grimacing at the blood and scars on his teacher’s face.</p><p>“Hang on Mr. Aizawa.”</p><p>Slim took in a deep breath as he merged with Firefly, sending light pulses through the Pro Hero’s head. The blood stopped flowing, quickly crusting. The student then moved onto his elbow, soothing the remaining skin before sitting back with a huff.</p><p>“What’re you doing, lightbulb? I thought you were supposed to heal people.” Bakugo growled.<br/>
“You try healing a man with exposed muscle and a waterfall of blood for a face with your explosions.” Firefly spat back, catching the others off guard.<br/>
“Don’t sass me, tiny!”</p><p>The doors beside Slim flew open, revealing the other pro heroes of U.A., along with Iida, ready for battle. The genius rodent and principal known as Nezu sat on one of the hero’s shoulders, focusing the group on their target. The Sharpeye Hero, Snipe, opened fire, incapacitating several faraway villains with ease, including the pale blue-haired villain’s arms and legs before he and the smokey villain retreated.</p><p>“Go beyond! Plus, <em>Ultraaaa!!”</em></p><p>All Might’s cry and the following <em>boom</em> shook the ground, snapping the students out of their adrenaline-induced trances. The Symbol of Peace had sent his monstrous opponent careening into the sky, crashing through the USJ’s ceiling and popping the lights like balloons. The students watched the hero with complete awe, Firefly feeling like he could faint when All Might told of his 300 blows today that would’ve taken five in his prime.</p><p>Slim breathed a sigh of relief as he and Firefly separated, almost falling to his back before the trenchcoated hero Ectoplasm caught him.</p><p>“Are you alright?” His echoed voice carried genuine concern, easing Slim.<br/>
“Yeah, I’m fine. But we gotta help Mr. Aizawa.” The student nodded over to his teacher, following as Ectoplasm picked him up and brought him to an outside ambulance.</p><p>“Is he gonna be okay? I healed him a little bit, I can still help.”<br/>
“It’s alright, Slim. The medics will take it from here. You did very well in helping him.”</p><p>The boy subtly blushed before the redness was drained by concern. Slim looked down to his hand, seeing it shaking from rapidly approaching tiredness. He walked to the stairs with heavy steps, almost asleep before someone called to him.</p><p>“Hey, Slim!”</p><p>The student looked around with one eye open, seeing Uraraka and Iida approach with concerned faces. Slim tried to get up but would’ve fallen if they hadn’t caught his shoulders.</p><p>“Thanks guys.”<br/>
“I saw you go up against that hand-covered villain. Are you okay?” The girl asked fearfully.<br/>
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” He breathily reassured. “Just tired from using Shade and Firefly’s abilities so much.”<br/>
“Your healing will give Mr. Aizawa a much better chance at recovery, and you showed impressive combat skills against the villain.” Iida praised.<br/>
“C’mon, now. I just did what anyone else would’ve done.”</p><p>Slim looked around, now noticing that something, or someone, was missing.</p><p>“Where’s Midoriya?”<br/>
“He broke his fingers during the attack. He and All Might were taken to the hospital, but the police said they’re expected to make full recoveries.”<br/>
“Oh, right. I’m glad things worked out.”<br/>
“Were you with him?” Uraraka asked.<br/>
“Yeah. He, Asui and I were trapped on a boat, but he caught the villains once I distracted them. Now that I think about it, I shrank him with me when Firefly and I merged. I’ve never shrunk someone else before.”<br/>
“Seems the day’s stress helped you surpass a limit.” Iida smiled.<br/>
“Guess you went Plus Ultra too, huh?”<br/>
Uraraka’s joke got laughs from Slim, even if they were small. “Yeah, I guess we did. Hey Shade, Firefly, thanks for your help.”</p><p><em>‘You can thank me by getting us to a napping spot.’</em> Shade grumbled within.<br/>
<em>‘I agree. I’m ready for some much-needed sleep.’</em> Firefly yawned.</p><p>Slim simply chuckled, his eyes and expression telling his classmates enough as they walked over to the other students. They all shared congratulations and reassurances; even Bakugo was calmer for his normal behavior. The class boarded a bus, keeping to excited whispers or near silence as they reflected on what happened at the USJ, and what would happen next.</p><p>Slim smiled as he felt himself doze off, letting exhaustion and satisfaction carry him off to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Battle of Wills</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Real quick note: This is where the Warning of Graphic Violence comes into play. This chapter is important to Slim's growth, but if you want to skip it, here's a summary: Neito Monoma consistently bullies Class 1-A, targeting Slim with insults that lead to him losing control and severely hurting Monoma when they fight at the Sports Festival. With that out of the way, if you stick around, I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next few days seemed to blaze by. Everyone was still recovering mentally, and Aizawa caught them off-guard by returning to school almost entirely covered in bandages. The teacher didn’t waste any time, telling his students of the rapidly approaching Sports Festival.</p><p>“All right! Time to show what we can really do!”</p><p>Shade and Uraraka snapped to each other, sharing large grins and laughter as their friends got caught up in the hype. However, the excitement vanished as other U.A. students crowded the classroom’s entrance, preventing 1-A from leaving.</p><p>“What’s with all the extras?” Bakugo snarled.<br/>“C’mon dude,” Slim chided, “lay off.”<br/>“Man, those villains must have been real idiots if they were defeated by the likes of you.”</p><p>Both Slim and Bakugo snapped to the door, seeing a blond-haired boy walk forward with a cocky smile. His condescending eyes and tone immediately set Slim off, putting up his guard.</p><p>“What’d you say, punk?” Bakugo growled.<br/>“I’m just stating what I see. Now that you guys are big celebrities, the rest of us have heard nothing but how you fought off a bunch of villains at the USJ. And Aizawa and other teachers had to show up too, to save your sorry faces.”<br/>“Hey blondie,” Shade emerged, “why don’t you shove it.”<br/>“My, my. Looks like this demon has fangs.” The boy laughed before arrogantly shrugging. “How can you become a hero if you scare others with your Quirk? Not that the rest of you look any better from what I’ve heard.”</p><p>Slim’s mind retreated to his youth, a little boy struggling to hold back a small ghost from the bullies. Their insults of ‘<em>demon</em>’ and ‘<em>monster</em>’ echoed incessantly, bringing him back to the present with sparking orange eyes as he walked just in front of Bakugo.</p><p>“You weren’t there, so you have <em>no right to talk.</em> And I won’t let you talk to my friends like that.”<br/>“Slim, please.”</p><p>The boy in question looked to Uraraka and Midoriya beside him, both pleading with their eyes. Slim mentally checked on himself, sensing the tension that had taken hold of his body. He released it with a deep breath, the sparks from his eyes leaving even as his orange color persisted.</p><p>Slim only glared at Monoma, who still held his arrogant smirk, before following his friends to the back of the room. He did slightly smile when it sounded like someone knocked the boy out, but the smile was gone when he took in Midoriya and Uraraka’s concerned faces. The walk home was silent with tension, Uraraka looking to Slim’s yellow and gray eyes with apprehension.</p><p>“Hey Slim, are you okay?”<br/>“Huh?” the boy’s eyes quickly returned to their hazel color. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous about the Sports Festival, I guess.”<br/>“I think we all are Slim,” Iida spoke, “but you also seemed distressed from that other student earlier. Are you sure you’ll be alright?”<br/>“Yeah, I’m sure. I-I’d rather not talk about that. I’m sorry.”<br/>“Still, thanks for standing up for us,” Midoriya nodded, “we really appreciate it.”</p><p>Uraraka and Iida’s following nods helped lift the burden from Slim’s heart slightly. He took in the fresh air, allowing it to ease his chest and gut.</p><p>‘<em>I <strong>really </strong>don’t like that guy.</em>’ Shade grumbled.<br/>‘<em>I don’t get it,’</em> Firefly started, ‘<em>why would someone be jealous of us almost being killed?’</em><br/>‘<em>Probably some stupid sense of pride,’</em> Slim thought, ‘<em>but we shouldn’t worry about him. We’ve gotta get ready for the Sports Festival.’</em></p><p>Using his focus to the fullest, Slim trained hard for the Festival, taking on extra exercises when he could. Though they left him exhausted and the blond boy named Monoma’s returns angered him, Slim could tell that the training was going to pay off. Shade’s confidence and Firefly’s reassurances fed into Slim, giving him a sense of excitement for the event.</p><p>But that confidence became nerves upon entering the stadium.</p><p>The crowd was louder than anything Slim had heard, making him flinch and cover his ears before adjusting to the sound. Present Mic and Aizawa’s voices were reassuring enough to calm the nerves a little.</p><p>“Man, TV doesn’t even come <em>close </em>to doing this justice!” Shade whistled.<br/>“So many people are here…and some are Pros that could hire us!” Firefly marveled.<br/>“Yeah. Better give them a good show, huh?” Slim smirked.</p><p>Midnight did well inspiring the other competitors. But Bakugo’s declaration of self-victory drove the stadium badly nuts, culminating in thunderous <em>boos</em> from the other students, and garnering face palms and gulps from Slim and his parts.</p><p>“Looks like Bomb Boy gave us an even bigger target on our backs.” Shade simmered with annoyance.</p><p>Slim brushed the remark off, focusing on getting ready for the first event: A race around the stadium. The starting seconds were absolute chaos, forcing Slim to merge with Firefly to get above the crowd and catch up to the front runners. He looked back with a snicker as others got stuck in Todoroki’s ice, only to run face first into a robot.</p><p>‘<em>Shade, we gotta get past these things!’</em> He stressed.<br/>‘<em>I’m on it!’</em></p><p>The ghost merged with his host, slashing off one of the bot’s arms before jumping ahead of it. He wove around the others, making some very close calls as he jumped, using Iida’s head as a launching point.</p><p>“Shade!” The class president shouted.<br/>“Sorry man,” the ghost smirked, “We’ll see you at the finish line!”</p><p>Shade skidded to a halt upon hearing a resounding <em>bang,</em> seeing pink explosions erupt ahead of him. With a quick breather, Shade disengaged from Slim, who merged with Firefly and rose to the sky. The light’s flight gave him an advantage in mobility, but at the cost of a slightly slower speed and small size, which gave him little room for avoidance.</p><p>Several explosions missed him by mere inches, with Midoriya’s massive burst pushing Firefly back with its energy. The light watched with awe as he rushed to catch up to Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki, proud of his 4<sup>th</sup> place setting. Slim congratulated Midoriya as they recuperated, going wide-eyed at the rules for the Calvary Battle.</p><p>The Battle itself seemed to fly by. Working with the quieter Mezo Shoji and Asui were fun, especially snagging point bands from other players with distractions and swiftness. His team placed well, Shade riding the adrenaline high as they took a small break.</p><p>“Ho man, this is awesome!” The ghost laughed. “Can’t wait to see who we fight in the battle tournament!”<br/>“This has been so fun! And we made a new friend!” Firefly nearly beamed.</p><p>Slim shared the sentiments; but they quickly turned to sharp focus upon watching the tournament’s first match: Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso from the general education class. The purple-haired boy’s hypnotism was frightening to see used on Izuku, bringing the crowd to an all-time high as he snapped out of it and fought back, claiming victory.</p><p>Slim returned to the locker room, congratulating Midoriya as he prepared for his own bout.</p><p>“Hey there, champ! Congrats on taking down Shinso!”<br/>“Thanks, though I didn’t do it on my own.” Midoriya’s shy smile held something more, but Slim didn’t push it, focusing on his own preparation.<br/>“Who are you fighting?”<br/>“That blond Monoma jerk.” Shade emerged. “We’re gonna show him just how good we really are.”<br/>“Alright, but be careful, okay?”<br/>“We will Midoriya, don’t worry!” Firefly’s smile put the green-haired boy at ease, he and Slim giving thumbs up before walking back outside.</p><p>The crowd was just as excited as they were when the festival started, Slim minimizing their noise with a deep breath as he climbed the stairs to the arena. Monoma had a smirk on his face, making Slim’s eyes subtly turn red with determination as they met.</p><p>“Looks like we’ll finally see just what you ‘heroes’ really are!” the boy smirked.<br/>“We’ll wipe your arrogant face into the floor.” Shade snarled.</p><p>The fighters stepped back before charging at the starter’s sound. Slim aimed low, hoping to sweep Monoma off the ground and throw him out of bounds. The blond student was light on his feet, dodging around the attacks with movements like a dancer. Shade stretched out to help, but was met with thin air as Monoma dodged the attack, hitting Slim in the stomach and face.</p><p>Slim quickly responded with a sharp breath and punches to Monoma’s side, knocking him back with an uppercut.</p><p>“C’mon, Monoma! Show us what you can do!”</p><p>The student replied with a smile before stopping, a shiver running through his body as familiar shapes emerged from his shoulders. Slim, Shade and Firefly dropped their jaws upon seeing near perfect duplicates of the dark and light, now looking more like Monoma.</p><p>“Where was all that bravado, Slim?” Monoma chuckled as he dashed forward, hitting Slim with a swift kick. The larger student refocused, he and his parts struggling to keep up with Monoma’s new additions.</p><p>However, Slim’s parts had better coordination, able to set a rhythm and throw Monoma off-balance. Slim took the opportunity, sending his opponent back with punches to the face and chest.</p><p>Monoma rose slowly, angry breaths escaping his mouth.</p><p>“What the hell are you doing!?” Monoma’s darkness demanded. “We should be cru-“</p><p>Slim and his parts went wide-eyed as Monoma grabbed his ghost’s neck, turning him face to face.<br/>“Be quiet. I’m the one in control, not you!”<br/>“Wait, wait!” the light cried out, “We shouldn’t be so has-“</p><p>Slim’s pupils shrank as Monoma grabbed his light’s arm tightly, making it whimper in fear.</p><p>“I don’t need a coward weighing down my time in the spotlight. Get out of here.”</p><p>The light listened, looking to Slim with tearful eyes as he retreated into Monoma, who’s serious expression had a subtle smirk to it.</p><p>“Now, where were we?”<br/>“…How could you?”<br/>“Huh?”<br/>“How could you throw someone aside like that when they wanted to help?” Slim’s breathing was getting heavier, making his whole body rise and fall.<br/>“He would’ve just gotten in my way, and this other one needed to know his place. It’s not like these things have long anyway since my Quirk will time out soon.”</p><p>“You…Treat others like stepping stones and objects, just to lift yourself up?” Shade’s voice was starting to mix with Slim’s. “You go on and on about being a hero, yet you force others to your will and snark those that defy you?”</p><p>Shade became even darker as he merged with Slim, his eyes becoming a deep crimson red.</p><p>“Pushing darkness was one thing, but pushing a light that only wanted to help you…Contribute to your cause…”</p><p>Shade looked to Monoma, his eyes releasing large, intense flames as he roared.</p><p>“We…Won’t…<em>FORGIVE YOU!!!”</em></p><p>Shade’s roar shocked the audience, slightly quieting them as he got down on all fours. Monoma pushed back his emerging nerves with a smirk and inviting gesture. The smile became a surprised face when Shade lunged forward, barely scratching Monoma’s cheek. The blond student tried to fight back by sending out his darkness, but it was dodged by Shade, who sprinted on the ground, leaving small craters where his hands and feet met the ground as he slammed Monoma’s stomach with joined fists, sending him careening across the stadium.</p><p>Shade raced towards Monoma, the audience growing concerned as he and Shade exchanged blows, the enraged student becoming more and more animalistic. Monoma’s darkness landed a hit, but it only made Shade angrier, headbutting his opponent before grabbing his head and dragging him across the floor. Monoma tried to pry Shade off, but could only watch as he was flung to the other side of the stadium.</p><p>“<em>WE’LL KILL YOU, SOULLESS MONSTER!!</em>”</p><p>Shade roared as he pounced, ready to finish off his prey. Midnight quickly released her sleeping aroma, causing Shade to fall and slide along the ground with a <em>thud</em> as the crowd went silent.</p><p>
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</p><p>Slim slowly awoke to blinding lights, groaning as his eyes adjusted. He quickly noticed the restraints on his arms and legs, starting to panic as he struggled to get free.</p><p>“Easy child, easy!” Recovery Girl’s voice reached his ears.<br/>Slim slowly complied, taking in a deep but shaky breath.<br/>“Will you go wild again?”<br/>“N-no, ma’am.”</p><p>Recovery Girl slowly released the shackles. Slim tried to sit up, but fell back as his head pounded. He blinked a few more times, now seeing that All Might, Nezu, Midoriya and Uraraka were also in the room as he cupped his forehead.</p><p>“Thank goodness you’re awake!” Midoriya sighed in relief.<br/>“Young Slim…” All Might’s voice was soft but heavy, “What happened out there?”<br/>“What...? Wait…I…” Slim’s headache slowly calmed. “I remember…being so <em>angry</em>…Monoma had…Wait, what about Monoma!?” Slim’s eyes turned a sharp yellow.<br/>“He has a few broken bones and facial wounds, but doctors say he’ll make a full recovery.” Nezu spoke. “Now, we need to know what happened.”<br/>“Y-yes sir. I…Monoma had been taunting our class ever since the USJ attack, and he used…strong insults that I heard when I was a kid. I was just…so angry, especially after he treated his soul parts so harshly. We…We lost control.”</p><p>Sad faces traveled around the room, the only sound being a ticking clock.</p><p>“W-well, at least you’re okay, Slim.” Uraraka spoke softly.<br/>“Not quite,” Nezu spoke. “There are those who want you expelled, Slim, even possibly facing criminal charges.”</p><p>Slim looked to his hands, tears starting to fill his eyes. “I…I underst-“</p><p>“But we could offer you an alternative.”</p><p>Slim’s eyes went wide at Nezu. “What do you mean?”<br/>“All Might and I both saw your bravery at the USJ attack, and you’ve been doing very well in classes. While losing control is harmful, I would rather not dismiss the potential you have.”<br/>“Now understand that this would be difficult, young Slim.” All Might stepped forward. “You’d go through extensive counseling and anger management classes for at least a year if you stayed, on top of your other school duties.”</p><p>Slim looked forward, seeming to zone out into his mind.</p><p>“Before you make a decision, there’s someone here who’d like to speak with you.”</p><p>Slim followed All Might’s gaze to the door, only to take in a sharp breath. Dot stood at the door, watching the conversation with a nervous expression.</p><p>“Mr. All Might, Principal, can I talk with Slim alone, please?”<br/>“Now hold on,” Recovery Girl stepped forward, “Slim, I need your word that you won’t get out of hand again.”<br/>“I’d rather give my life than hurt Dot, ma’am. I’ll be calm, I promise.”<br/>The elderly doctor sighed, “You kids…Alright, you have my approval.”</p><p>All Might and Nezu nodded in agreement, escorting Midoriya and Uraraka out of the room with Recovery Girl behind them. Dot walked in with gentle steps, slowly closing the door behind her. She had to stop once she looked at Slim, as his eyes were now flaming yellow as he shook.</p><p>“Dot…I-“<br/>“Slim, please stop.”</p><p>The boy looked near tears, Dot struggling to hold in her own as she sat on Slim’s bed.</p><p>“Are you okay?”<br/>“Uh…y-yeah. We’re okay. You saw what happened, didn’t you?”<br/>Dot only nodded, “I’ve heard about Monoma from the others. I tried to come in sooner, but All Might and Principal Nezu wanted to talk to you first. Midoriya and Uraraka were allowed because they’re in your class.”</p><p>“I-I’m sorry you had to see that. Are you still okay…with us being around?”<br/>A few tears fell from Dot’s eyes as she looked at Slim, who seemed to be near breaking.<br/>“I…I need to see Shade and Firefly.”</p><p>The two parts emerged, both sharing Slim’s nervousness.</p><p>“Are you alright?”<br/>“Don’t need to worry about me, angel.”<br/>“Y-yeah, we’re okay.”</p><p>“Shade, why did you lose control?”<br/>“It’s as Slim said. Monoma was a real monster. We weren’t going to let him get away with harassing our friends or his copies.”<br/>“He called his light a coward, and us a demon.” Firefly whispered.<br/>Dot took in another breath. “I don’t think they told you, but you’ve been disqualified from the Sports Festival.”<br/>“…It makes sense.”</p><p>“Slim, I need you to understand just how <em>dangerous</em> this is. The crowd was getting nervous, and so were your classmates and I. Not even that Bakugo guy gets as angry as you did.”<br/>Tears finally escaped Slim’s eyes, flowing faster as Dot hugged him.<br/>“I’m so sorry Dot, I didn’t mean to. I-“<br/>“Nehemiah, listen to me.”</p><p>The boy stopped upon hearing his real name, looking to Dot with flaming eyes that had slightly diminished.</p><p>“Will you be okay?”<br/>“Y-yes ma’am.”<br/>“Will you guys lose control again?”<br/>“No, Dot.” Shade spoke calmly.<br/>“I need you to promise me, and the others.”<br/>“We promise, Selene. We’re gonna take Nezu’s offer to stay.”</p><p>A relieved smile came onto Dot’s lips, allowing her to give Slim one last kiss which was reciprocated. She pulled back, the flames from Slim’s eyes completely gone, though the yellow was still there.</p><p>“I think All Might and the others will want to talk, still. I’ll leave you be.”<br/>“Dot, wait.”<br/>The girl turned around, seeing hesitation in her boyfriend’s posture.<br/>“Could you…stay? It’s…reassuring for us, having you around.”</p><p>Dot only nodded as she peeked out the door, seeing that the rest of Class 1-A, save Shoto Todoroki, had gathered alongside All Might and Nezu. Dot invited the teachers in; working with Slim to negotiate the finer details.</p><p>“With all that out of the way, thank you for cooperating with us, Slim.”<br/>“Thank you for giving us another chance, sir.”<br/>“Even pros make mistakes, and it wouldn’t be fair to cut you off from a bright future from one trip-up.” All Might flashed his signature smile. “Now, I think your classmates would like to see you. Would that be alright Recovery Girl?”<br/>“If Slim can stay calm, I’ll allow it. But I want you to stay here tonight, just to make sure nothing else goes awry, so they won’t have long to talk.”</p><p>The adults left to make room for the other students, who corralled around the hospital bed as Shade and Firefly emerged.</p><p>“Aw, man, are you okay?” Kirishima asked.<br/>“You must be exhausted after…Whatever Dark Beast thing happened out there.” Iida observed.<br/>“You could say that. I’m sorry we made you guys worry.”<br/>“Even if you went too far, thank you for standing up for us.” Momo nervously bowed.<br/>“No, don’t bow for me. I…proved them right, as a monster.”<br/>“Everyone has a demon inside them,” Tokoyami noted as Dark Shadow emerged, “I know how you feel.”</p><p>“Thanks, Tokoyami. Thank you all. We’re sorry that you had to see that.”<br/>“Just focus on getting better Slim. We look forward to seeing you at school.” Iida nodded.</p><p>Slim reciprocated, allowing the Class President to escort the others out of the room. The class sent well wishes to the bed-ridden student, making him slightly smile. Dot followed behind Uraraka, giving Slim only last look with dedicated eyes before leaving. Slim laid back on the bed, feeling his energy quickly drain.</p><p>‘<em>Sorry for losing control, man. Though that creep had it coming.’</em> Shade spoke within Slim.<br/>‘<em>I’m sorry I couldn’t help you snap out of it.’</em> Firefly added.<br/>“No, you’re okay. It was my fault I let my emotions get out of control. We <em>have</em> to get better at this so that we don’t hurt others like we’ve been hurt.” Shade finished the talk, allowing sleep to take him away from the chaotic day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Lessons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Slim kept as small a social identity as possible after the Festival, but word still spread quickly.</p><p>He could hear the awed whispers from passing students. Some simply held surprise that he still attended, some were more aggressive with their opinions, wishing that he’d been arrested. The words stuck in his mind, playing with the incident itself in nightmares and throughout the day.</p><p>Slim’s friends tried to offer their help, which he did appreciate, but nothing really got through to the student. While choosing his hero name did bring a smile to his face, it didn’t last too long, being replaced by the darker thoughts by the time Midnight left.</p><p>Slim’s loathing dislodged his sense of time, making Aizawa’s discussion of upcoming internships a surprise.</p><p>Before the incident, Slim would look forward to the internships, but now he dreaded them. It only became amplified as Aizawa brought up a list of how many agencies sought each student for an internship. While the others got multiple offers, Slim only got one. Looking at the information Aizawa gave to him, Slim saw that it was from the Battle Hero: Gunhead.</p><p>The day to leave for the internships came in a flash, only amplifying Slim’s nerves. He shifted to curiosity upon seeing that Uraraka was still beside him.</p><p>“Who do you have for the internship?” He asked softly.<br/>“I have Gunhead. I want to get better at combat, maybe see if I can use my Quirk with it somehow. What about you?”<br/>“Oh…I got Gunhead too.”<br/>“Cool! It’s kinda nice that we won’t be in completely foreign territory, huh?”<br/>“Y-yeah, I guess so…”</p><p>Uraraka wanted to try and comfort her friend, but they had arrived at Gunhead’s dojo. They slowly let themselves in, seeing the muscular hero finishing a training session and dispersing the students before spotting the newcomers.</p><p>“Hello! Are you guys the interns from U.A.?” The hero asked with a subtly cheerful tone.<br/>“Yes sir. I’m Ochaco Uraraka.”<br/>“My name is Slim. Thank you for allowing me here, sir.”<br/>Gunhead noticed Slim’s nervous expression as he shook the students’ hands. “Nice to meet you, kids. Come with me and I’ll show you around.”</p><p>The Hero gave them a quick tour, allowing them lockers to put their costumes in. Uraraka looked around attentively as he explained the agency’s armed combat specialty, while Slim’s face remained unchanging. Gunhead returned them to the front, wanting to see what the students could do; with Uraraka volunteering herself first. Slim tried to watch, but could only flash back to his fight with Monoma.</p><p>“Slim, are you ready?”<br/>The called student snapped to reality with complete dread in his eyes. “I-I’m sorry sir, b-but I can’t.”<br/>“No need to worry Slim, I’ll make sure things don’t get out of hand, I promise.”</p><p>Slim gulped as he stepped onto the mat and repeated Gunhead’s bow. The Pro charged forward, just barely missing Slim’s head. The student jumped back, struggling to keep a stable stance as his teacher attacked.</p><p>“You gotta attack, Slim! Think of me as a villain if you need to!”</p><p>Slim shook his head, finally advancing. His strikes were swift, but sloppy. He managed to land a few hits on Gunhead’s side, but the pro was easily able to counterattack, making Slim more emotionally charged. His eyes began to change color as Shade emerged, knocking Gunhead away.</p><p>Slim jumped to finish his teacher off, only to remember doing the same thing to Monoma and stopping. This gave Gunhead the opportunity he needed, knocking Slim out of balance and restraining him on the floor.</p><p>“You did alright, but you can do a lot better.”</p><p>Slim only gulped back tears and nodded as his teacher helped him up, Uraraka looking on with a sad expression. Gunhead noticed Slim’s sad face, looking around the dojo before getting an idea.</p><p>“Ms. Uraraka, why don’t you head over to my sidekick over there?” He pointed to a woman near the wall, “She saw the fight and can give you pointers.”<br/>“Yes, sir!”<br/>“Slim, why don’t you come with me?”</p><p>The student nervously nodded, allowing himself to be guided by Gunhead’s gentle hand on his shoulder to a smaller room. Gunhead sat on the floor, inviting Slim to sit across from him.</p><p>“I saw your file from U.A. after the Sports Festival. Can I meet Shade and Firefly?”</p><p>Slim stayed silent, his parts slowly emerging from his shoulders. Firefly shared Slim’s nerves, while Shade looked neutral to annoyed.</p><p>“H-hello, Mr. Gunhead.” Firefly squeaked.<br/>“What do you want?” Shade slightly snarled.<br/>“I want to see you guys improve. Slim, you have great potential as a Pro. I saw in both your file and performance at the Sports Festival.”</p><p>Slim’s eyes became encased in yellow flames, throwing off the teacher as tears began to build up.</p><p>“Why did you choose me then? You saw what kind of monster I am.”<br/>“What I saw was someone under intense stress, with his opponent taking advantage of that stress.”<br/>“Does it matter!?” Slim’s tears began to spill. “I still brutally hurt someone, and lost control! What kind of hero drags their target’s face along the ground!?”</p><p>Gunhead didn’t know how to respond to Slim’s crying, only able to put his hand on the student’s shoulder. The Pro eventually pulled the student into a hug, making the tears come faster. Slim couldn’t help returning the embrace, still keeping his head low even as they separated.</p><p>“I’m not going to antagonize you, Slim. None of us are. I want to help you become an even better hero.”<br/>Slim looked up at Gunhead’s words, tears starting to slow. “How can we do that?”<br/>“Well, you certainly seem to have combat down according to your file and the Festival,” Slim subtly flinched, Gunhead noting to avoid mentioning the day, “so I don’t think we need to do much improving there for your time here.”</p><p>“Then why did you invite us if your place is combat-centric?” Shade piped up.<br/>“Well, I was thinking we could try exploring alternate uses for your powers, and refining them to be more precise and controlled.”<br/>“You want me to be a lapdog? That isn’t gonna fly with me.” Shade warned with baring teeth.<br/>“That’s not the goal. Instead, we could try to get you guys to focus and work together more, fight as one instead of three.”<br/>“How would we do that?” Firefly whispered.</p><p>“First, we should calm your minds a bit. Meditation should do the trick. It can also help to get you guys aligned better.”<br/>“Do you really think that’ll help?” Slim asked.<br/>“From what I was told by Aizawa and All Might, you lost control because your emotions got out of hand, right?”<br/>“Yes, sir.”<br/>“Then it could help to calm yourself and get your emotions back in order. Follow my lead, and try to clear your mind.”</p><p>Slim obeyed, mirroring Gunhead’s straight crisscrossed position and slow breathing. The student’s breaths came out shakily, only becoming worse as the dark thoughts came back with no distractions. Slim unknowingly gripped his legs tightly, shaking enough that Gunhead noticed. Flames began to escape from the gaps in Slim’s closed eyes, becoming fully unfurled as he opened them with a gasp.</p><p>“I’m sorry Gunhead, but I can’t focus like this! I keep repeating that fight over and over in my head, with no way to stop it.”<br/>“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Gunhead spoke softly. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you and Uraraka come out with me on patrol to finish the day? It’s the middle of the afternoon, so any villain activity should be small.”</p><p>Slim mulled it over before hesitantly agreeing. Uraraka gave her classmate a small smile as they put on their costumes, which he only slightly reciprocated. Slim had to admit, breathing in the fresh air did help to calm him down a bit, allowing the young student to give simple hellos to passerby.</p><p>“Uh, Gunhead?” Uraraka started.<br/>“What’s up?”<br/>“If there aren’t many villains around, then why are we on patrol? Not that I mind it or anything.”<br/>“You make a fair point. Heroes go out on patrol not only to report to any active crimes, but to ward off any villains that haven’t attacked yet.”<br/>“How exactly does that help?” Slim added softly.<br/>“Think of it like this. The public looks up to Pro Heroes every day, often putting us on a pedestal, right?”</p><p>Slim perked up as he thought about the question. “I guess so. Pretty much all the Pros have merchandise and media presence.”<br/>“Right. And while we do that to ward off any long-distance villains and make a living,” Gunhead chuckled, “Pros also go out to show the citizens that they’re safe. A Hero always does his best work on the ground, showing that he’s like them; a man of the people.”</p><p>Slim considered his mentor’s words and actions. Even with his power, the Pro carried himself like a normal person, giving hellos and good wishes to those he passed. The student compared this vision to the one in the dojo, who fought strongly and precisely.</p><p>Slim’s thinking distracted him, accidentally running into a woman and her son and knocking out some groceries.</p><p>“Oh man, I’m sorry madam!” Slim scrambled to pick up the fallen items.<br/>“No no, it was my mistake.” She protested.</p><p>Uraraka and Gunhead picked up some items as well, giving them to the woman with small smiles. Slim noticed the son tearing up over a toy that had fallen as well. The student picked it up, seeing that some dirt had gotten onto the action figure.</p><p>“Is this yours?” He asked softly.<br/>The boy only nodded and sniffled, slightly hiding behind his mother.<br/>“Oh, cool. This is All Might, right?”<br/>The owner’s eyes slowly lit up as he nodded.<br/>“All Might is really cool, isn’t he?” Slim smiled as he got an idea while cleaning the toy. “Here, can I tell you a secret?”<br/>The child’s eyes sparkled as Slim continued, “Not only is All Might an awesome hero, he’s my teacher too. He helps us with our homework and shows us all kinds of ways to fight bad guys.”</p><p>The boy looked like his mind had been blown, already trying to get his mother’s attention as she smiled at the student.</p><p>“He wants to be a hero just like All Might someday.”<br/>“Really?” Slim couldn’t help but smile as he returned the toy, “Well, I’m only a student right now, but I can tell you’ll be a great hero someday, one that’ll make a lot of people smile.”</p><p>The child hugged his doll fiercely, giving Slim a massive smile as his mother thanked the heroes before continuing on her way. Slim released a peaceful sigh before turning to Uraraka and Gunhead, who both fawned profusely.</p><p>“What?”<br/>“That…was…<em>adorable!”</em> Uraraka barely contained her squeal.<br/>“Aw come on guys,” Slim scratched his head, a blush rapidly forming, “it wasn’t that big of a deal.”<br/>“I beg to differ.” Gunhead patted Slim’s shoulder, “That’s exactly what a good hero does. You made that kid’s day. I’m very proud of you, Slim.”<br/>“I-“<br/>“Just take the damn credit already,” Shade emerged with a chuckle, “Or I’ll take it for you.”</p><p>Slim only sighed as they kept walking, still feeling Shade’s pride and Firefly’s uplifted spirit. His smile carried through the rest of day, though embarrassment came back while talking to Uraraka on the way home. The student felt at peace as he went to bed, more than he had since the Sports Festival.</p><p>Slim’s ease carried him back to Gunhead’s dojo the next day, allowing him to carry out his tasks peacefully. He couldn’t help but look to the training ring, feeling proud of Uraraka’s combat progress but also dreading his own training. Gunhead eventually asked Slim to join him, returning to the meditation room they had visited yesterday.</p><p>“You certainly seem to be in better spirits today.”<br/>“Thank you sir, though I can’t deny that I’m still nervous about fighting.”<br/>“I think I have an idea to help with that. You remember helping that woman and her son yesterday, right?”<br/>“How can I forget? I haven’t felt that good since before the Festival.”<br/>“Good!” Gunhead chuckled. “Use that to help guide you to a state of calm. And Slim?”<br/>The student looked to his teacher curiously.<br/>“Don’t fight the memories this time. Let them come to you, and see them for what they are, not what you imagine.”</p><p>Slim took a slightly nervous breath as he and Gunhead began meditating. The hero in training first found the memory of helping the woman and child, feeling joy and peace upon seeing the boy’s bright smile. The memory guided him deeper, moving past the Festival’s aftermath to the fight with Monoma itself.</p><p>Slim first grimaced upon revisiting the arena, feeling the anger and adrenaline threaten to consume him. But then he saw a glimmer of light, pushing against the darkness to reach the spark before pulling it close. It was faint, but gave off an undeniable warmth that calmed him, allowing his vision of the fight to become clear; bringing understanding to his mind.</p><p>Monoma had let his pride consume him, only seeing himself as worthy of recognition, despite the help he had. Slim saw his family in Monoma, that same harshness now igniting anger instead of fear. Slim left the memory, allowing the light to guide him back to reality with water-blue eyes.</p><p>“Are you okay Slim?” Gunhead inquired.<br/>“Yes sir.” Slim nodded, “I can see what happened clearly, and understand why I got out of hand at the Festival. It still hurts,” A flash of yellow came with the blue before vanishing, “But I won’t run away from that kind of power.”<br/>“Very good, Slim. Now,” The teacher stood, extending his hand, “wanna show me what you can really do?”</p><p>Slim briefly hesitated before taking the offer with bright red eyes, following Gunhead to the ring. The two fighters bowed to each other before taking ready positions. Slim took in a cleansing breath, feeling Shade and Firefly with him as he made the first move. Gunhead was able to dodge the attack, but didn’t anticipate Shade coming out and twisting one of his arms.</p><p>The teacher shook off the ghost, only to be briefly blinded by Firefly’s light. Slim took the chance to sweep Gunhead off his feet, but was too slow to counter the teacher’s counter kick to his shoulder. The combatants continued to trade blows, garnering more and more attention from the workers. Slim could feel his emotions rising as the cheers grew, but became calmer upon seeing Uraraka give him a determined nod.</p><p>However, it wasn’t quite enough, as Gunhead just barely managed to take Slim by surprise and claim victory. The teacher extended a tired hand to his downed student.</p><p>“You did an excellent job Slim. I knew you could.”<br/>“Thank you sir, though I still lost.”<br/>“Not in my eyes. You took your meditation to heart and remained calm, and were able to give a Pro a run for his money; as a first year, no less!”</p><p>Slim smiled at Gunhead’s words before flinching, sending Firefly to heal his shoulder. The light gave a smile as he worked, also rejuvenating Slim’s energy to what it was before the match. Both Slim and Uraraka accepted Gunhead’s offer to patrol again with eagerness. Slim saw the city in a new light, one that was focused and undeterred by his darker thoughts.</p><p>“Just give me what I want, and I’ll let you go free.”</p><p>Slim turned sharply at the voice, running to the source in an alleyway. A man with dagger-like hair was mugging a woman who was near bawling in fear.</p><p>“Let her go!”<br/>The villain turned to Slim with a smirk as he grabbed the woman, aiming his hair all around her head. “Don’t even think about it, <em>heroes.</em> One move and this lady’s a pincushion!”</p><p>Slim tensed as he and the others stepped back with extended hands.</p><p>‘<em>What the hell are you doing?’</em> Shade hissed within. ‘<em>I can take this chump.’</em><br/>‘<em>We’re not risking this woman’s life.’</em> Slim answered. ‘<em>Firefly, can you make a distraction?’</em></p><p>Firefly hummed in agreement, sneaking down Slim’s leg and extending forward. The villain noticed too late as Firefly glowed intensely, blinding him and the woman. Slim raced forward, guiding the woman to Gunhead and Uraraka as Firefly retreated and the mugger reoriented himself.</p><p>“You’ll pay for that, you damn brat!”<br/>“We won’t let you harm innocent people.” Slim and Shade spoke as they merged. “Surrender quietly or by force. Your choice.”</p><p>The villain made his decision by launching his hair spikes forward, just barely missing Shade as he moved into the shadows. The villain saw that he was gone, taking the chance to lunge at Gunhead and Uraraka. Shade emerged behind the villain, grabbing and suplexing him even as he was stabbed in the back.</p><p>Shade’s opponent laughed as he attacked again, scratching the hero in training a few times. Shade responded by cutting the spikes down, slashing the villain across his face and sides before slamming him to the ground.</p><p>“Make any moves and we’ll shred you to pieces.”<br/>“Shade, that’s enough!”</p><p>The student looked up to his teacher. “Uraraka, call the police. Shade, you need to calm down.”<br/>“If we do, then this guy’s gonna get up and attack again.”<br/>“He’s beaten, Shade. You have him pinned, and the blood loss will slow him down enough to not be a threat. I’ll take it from here.”</p><p>Shade looked to Uraraka, who returned with a nervous expression as she eyed her classmate. He took a cleansing breath as sirens could be heard, disconnecting from Slim to deliver the villain to the authorities. Slim saw the woman finish talking with a policeman and walked over slowly.</p><p>“Are you alright, ma’am?”<br/>“I am thanks to you, hero. What’s your name?”<br/>“Well,” Slim softly smiled as Shade and Firefly reappeared, giving small smiles of their own. “We’re Shadow, ma’am. We just did what any other hero would’ve done.”<br/>“Still, thank you, heroes.” The woman bowed before walking away to the paramedics, reminding Slim of his own injuries.</p><p>“Firefly, heal my back, please.”<br/>“You got it.” The light closed the wounds intently, wiping away any crusting blood before grimacing. “Doesn’t look like the villain got too deep, but the armor will need to be repaired.”<br/>“We’ll worry about that later.”</p><p>Firefly nodded as Slim gave his report to an officer, taking a deep breath as the last cars drove off.</p><p>“Well, it looks like the day’s about done. Let’s get back to the agency, yeah kids?”</p><p>Uraraka and Slim nodded as they walked beside their teacher, releasing the last of their nerves.</p><p>“That was awesome, Slim. How you saved that woman.” Uraraka praised.<br/>“She’s right. Both of you handled the situation as well as a Pro ever could. You’ll make great heroes when you graduate.” Gunhead beamed through his voice.<br/>“T-thank you sir.” The students blushed and scratched their heads.</p><p>The trainees noticed each other and laughed as they walked back to the dojo, talking about their training as they got back into normal clothes and headed home. Slim waved Uraraka goodbye, taking in a cheerful breath as he entered his apartment. While there were still a few days left of the internship, Slim would’ve been happy if it ended now. This experience had let him feel like himself again while helping others, even with his darker parts; and for that, he would take the lessons he learned with great gratitude.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Fight to Survive</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Summer vacation, baby! Wahoo!”<br/>“This won’t be a time to relax.”<br/>“Way to take the wind out of my sail.”</p><p>Slim and Firefly couldn’t help but snicker as Shade sank into his host’s shoulder. Aizawa told the class of the upcoming Training Camp, and that they would be leaving on Friday. After some calming, Shade was amiable again, even slightly smiling at some of the ideas the others had for what would happen.</p><p>“I at least hope we’ll get to make s’mores!” Ashido slightly drooled.<br/>“Oo, and look at the stars!” Hagakure added.</p><p>Aizawa simply sighed as he left, giving the class one final reminder to be ready for anything. The classes seemed to both zoom by and drag along for Slim leading up to the trip itself, but hearing about Tomura Shigaraki’s threat to Midoriya from Uraraka while the class was at the mall definitely shook him. Still, he carried a calm sense of excitement with him on the bus ride to the camp site, supported by Shade and Firefly.</p><p>The excitement turned to confusion as they stopped at a cliff on the side of the road, Aizawa talking to two heroes wearing feline-esque costumes.</p><p>“Hey Aizawa, what are we doing here?” Kaminari asked.<br/>“Glad you asked!” The blond-haired hero named Pixie-Bob exclaimed. “This is where the Training Camp begins!”<br/>“But, we aren’t even close to the campsite. Don’t we have to take the bus still?” Slim inquired.<br/>“Nope, you guys are gonna go through the forest, free to use your Quirks how you like!” The brunette hero named Mandalay explained, “But be quick. Whoever doesn’t make it to the camp by 12:30 doesn’t get lunch.”<br/>“Well, I got some snacks in the bus, let me go get some!” Sato started walking back.<br/>“Not so fast!” The blond hero dangerously smirked.</p><p>“Uh oh.”</p><p>Shade’s remark was drowned out by his classmates’ screams as the earth shook, dumping them from the cliff to the forest below. Just as Slim was dusting himself off, a monstrous roar filled the air, bringing a large brown beast with it.</p><p>“Uh, guys, we gotta do something!” Slim called.<br/>“Please, gentle forest creature, stand down!” Koda urged. The beast didn’t listen, narrowly missing both students as it swung its massive arms.</p><p>“Looks like reasoning won’t help, kid.” Shade warned as he merged with Slim, unveiling his claws. “Brute force it is!”</p><p>Iida, Midoriya and Bakugo beat Shade to the punch, but the ghost returned the favor by taking out another monster. The whole class charged after Iida’s war cry, navigating all kinds of creatures with different appearances, like giant wolves, bears and even a dragon. Shade tried slashing through the monsters, but got knocked into a tree for his efforts. He leaped over his target, seeing that Kirishima had just finished off his own opponent and getting an idea.</p><p>“Kirishimaaaaa!”<br/>The boy looked over quickly, seeing Shade’s opponent close behind him.<br/>“We need some help! Get ready to fly!”</p><p>The crimson student had just enough time to activate his Hardening before Shade grabbed him by the sides, aiming his classmate at the monster like a rocket launcher before throwing him.</p><p>Kirishima rose from the ground, slightly grimacing; just enough for Slim to quickly notice. “Not that I don’t like being able to help,” the redhead spoke, “but give a guy a little more warning next time, would ya?”<br/>“Sorry Kirishima,” Slim spoke as Shade left, noting the cut on his friend’s arm, “Let us heal you to make up for it.”</p><p>Kirishima only nodded as Slim approached, merging with Firefly and spreading golden light over the injury. It quickly vanished, leaving a barely noticeable scar and a smile on Kirishima’s face.</p><p>“Thanks man!”<br/>“N-no problem.”</p><p>“You okay, Slim?”</p><p>Kirishima looked closer, seeing sweat quickly accumulate on Slim’s brow, breaths seeming to slowly come heavier and faster.</p><p>“Y-yeah, we’ll be fine. Just gotta get to the camp. Come on!”</p><p>Kirishima followed Slim, the duo making quick work of any monsters that came their way as they caught up to the others. Slim eventually found himself near Mina Ashido, seeing the girl struggle against a gargoyle-looking monster. He quickly ran to her aid, taking out the creature’s legs and allowing her to melt its head with her acid.</p><p>“Thanks, Slim!”<br/>Slim responded to Ashido’s thumbs-up with his own, too tired to see a monster approaching behind him. Ashido was too slow to help, seeing Slim get thrown into the ground and hitting a tree. The pink-skinned student quickly eliminated Slim’s attacker, kneeling before her downed classmate just as Firefly starting healing him.</p><p>“Are you okay!?”<br/>“W-“ Slim seethed, “We’ll be okay. We can fly, remember?”</p><p>Ashido’s nerves didn’t leave as Firefly merged with Slim, shrinking and flying into the air before faltering and ultimately falling. Ashido just barely managed to catch him, Firefly looking to his savior with embarrassed eyes.</p><p>“Why don’t you come with me?”<br/>“Wait, really?” Firefly asked. “We don’t want to be a bother.”<br/>“You won’t be.” Ashido smiled as she put her classmate in her coat’s pocket. “Now hang on tight!”</p><p>Firefly followed the instruction, gripping the pocket tightly and watching with fascination as Ashido and the others fought their way through the forest. While he was sad that he couldn’t do more to help, Firefly couldn’t deny the tiredness that pervaded, feeling an odd sense of joy and relief when the class escaped the forest as the sun set.</p><p>Firefly crawled out of Ashido’s pocket, growing back to Slim and falling to his knees.</p><p>“Thanks for the lift.”<br/>“No problem, Slim.”</p><p>The two Pros from earlier appeared, praising the students’ swift performance; though Slim was hardly listening, still trying to recover. He looked up upon hearing Iida call out to a child, scolding their punch to a winded Midoriya’s privates. The Pros invited the students to unpack their luggage and have dinner, the second half driving everyone to scramble faster than a bullet train and stuff themselves to bursting at the offered buffet.</p><p>After dinner, the boys and girls separated to relax in the hot springs, an opportunity that Slim and his parts embraced with divine reverence.</p><p>“Can we just stay here? Forget being a Pro, we should open a hot spring, give ourselves unlimited access.”<br/>“I concur,” Firefly sighed with a smile, “I can stay in these waters forever.”</p><p>The other guys shared the sentiment; even Bakugo eased up as he sank into the water. Slim looked around, enjoying the time to relax before a spark of curiosity entered his mind upon seeing Kaminari.</p><p>“Hey Kaminari.”<br/>The called student opened an eye.<br/>“I know that your brain gets fried from using too much electricity, but would you get hurt from electricity and water?”</p><p>The boy perked up upon registering the question. “I don’t know. It’d be fun to try though!”<br/>“<em>Don’t!!”</em> The others’ quick objection shot down the proposal, making Slim and Kaminari shrink into the water. Slim let it go as he enjoyed the relaxation and eventually retired to bed, asleep before he hit the pillow.</p><p>While Slim was an early riser, this felt ridiculous even to him. His classmates seemed to share the sentiment, seeing as how many barely had their eyes open and were struggling to not fall to the ground in sleep. Aizawa and the other Pros, formally introducing themselves as the Wild Wild Pussycats, snapped the students out of sleep with rigorous exercise.</p><p>Aizawa said this was to physically enhance their Quirks, but Slim thought this was some form of payback for goofing off in class. Who else would see being forced to dodge a tree-sized monster while as small as a bug as good training?</p><p>“Good work there, Slim!” Pixie-Bob praised.<br/>“We’re Firefly! And tell that to us when we, aren’t, pancakes!” The light gasped as he talked, gaining small cuts on his face and arms before flying to the monster’s head, making it hit itself in the face and crumble.</p><p>Firefly quickly landed, growing back to Slim and separating before healing the cut on his host’s face.</p><p>“I could’ve taken that thing down with Shade.” The student grumbled. “Why can’t he come out?”<br/>“Aizawa told us about your Quirk and performance before you got here, and we saw the Sports Festival.”</p><p>Slim flinched upon remembering that day, leading Pixie Bob to make a note to not mention it again.</p><p>“While you can definitely handle yourself with Shade at your side, Firefly still has a lot of room to grow. You remember yesterday, right?”<br/>“Don’t remind me.”</p><p>Pixie Bob looked over Slim’s shoulder, getting an idea with a slightly wicked smile.</p><p>“Tell you what, Tiger is done training with Izuku Midoriya. Why don’t you go over and blow off some steam with him?”</p><p>Slim and Shade gulped as he emerged. “No thanks, lady. I ain’t getting near that stretchy wrestler.”</p><p>“Too late!”</p><p>The large Pussycat named Tiger grabbed Slim under his arm, the student resigning to his fate. Tiger himself was excited and ruthless, giving Shade a run for his money as they exchanged blows. Tiger struck Shade’s arms and legs, but didn’t anticipate the ghost’s counterattack to his jaw. Both fighters fell to the ground, but Shade was just barely able to get up faster than Tiger, though he felt near passing out.</p><p>“Sparky, get to healing.”<br/>“R-right.”</p><p>Pixie-Bob cheered as she walked over and helped Tiger up, giving Slim and his parts a wide smile, even as they glared at her.</p><p>“You wanna tell us what the hell this was for?” The ghost spoke with gritted teeth.<br/>“To test your healing ability, and some physical exercise doesn’t hurt.” The woman smiled.<br/>“Tell that to our bruised ribs.”<br/>“You fought well, Slim and Shade.” Tiger praised. “How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Real peachy, thanks.” Slim growled as his ribs ached. Firefly emerged, giving the teachers a remorseful look as he healed Slim. The light’s host gave a thankful nod before walking away from his teachers.</p><p>“Where are you going?” Pixie Bob asked.<br/>“I need a break, and I won’t let you run us into an early grave.”</p><p>Slim’s burning orange eyes kept the teachers away, only adding on to the camp’s stress. The next two days were no different. More sparring, more subtle reminders of the Festival. Slim managed to relax with meditation at night, but he could still feel anger within.</p><p>It came to a boiling point as he traveled with Tokoyami and Shoji.</p><p>They were walking through the forest, taking part in a game set by the teachers with the objective of reaching a goal while avoiding hidden classmates. Minimal conversation was exchanged between the group, which Slim appreciated.</p><p>The silence was broken by a psychic warning from Mandalay.</p><p>‘<em>Villains have invaded the camp! You’re free to use your Quirks and fight back!’</em></p><p>Sharp daggers rushed out of the trees, scarring each student before they could jump back.</p><p>“Shoji, see if you can get to where these things are coming from!” Slim called out. “Tokoyami and I can hold them off!”<br/>“Flesh…I need <em>flesh!</em>”</p><p>Two blades pierced Slim’s shoulder and arm deeply, spilling blood. The edges receded, revealing a bound person covered in black, save for his gaping mouth held open by metal pieces. He almost seemed to drool as he took in the blood, sending out even more blades from his teeth.</p><p>“Slim, use Firefly to get in close!”<br/>“Kinda busy at the moment!”<br/>“Shrink with Firefly, Slim. I can help!”</p><p>The student agreed, jumping towards Shoji as he merged with Firefly and shrunk. Shoji wound up his arm and launched Firefly, just barely missing the villain’s teeth as he grew and tackled his opponent’s legs. Slim quickly slammed the villain’s teeth shut with Shade, taking a quick breath.</p><p>“No, Dark Shadow, <em>don’t</em>!”<br/>“What’s happeni-“</p><p>Slim was launched behind his prey and into a tree, gasping at what attacked him. Dark Shadow was quickly becoming massive in size, the darkness’ yellow eyes turning a seething red as they grew with his body and voice, culminating in a roar that shook the trees. Slim quickly looked to Shoji as they ran from a pursuing Dark Shadow, seeing one of his arms were amputated and bleeding.</p><p>“Shoji, are you okay!?”<br/>“Yeah, I’m fine! We gotta stop Dark Shadow from getting out of control!”<br/>“No, you have to <em>run!</em>”</p><p>Slim focused his vision, seeing Tokoyami writhe in pain within the beast. An idea came to his mind and soul, being received by a nervous Shade and Firefly.</p><p>‘<em>You can’t be serious Slim! That’s suicide!’<br/>‘I agree with Shade! There has to be something else we can do!’<br/>‘We have to try <strong>something</strong>.’</em> “Shoji!”</p><p>The boy looked over to his classmate.</p><p>“Go and get some help! This mouth guy’s gonna get up soon, and Dark Shadow can bring down the whole forest!”<br/>“What about you?”<br/>“I’ve got an idea that can help Tokoyami, now <em>go!”</em></p><p>Shoji stood before nodding, running further into the trees. Slim turned back to Tokoyami, taking a deep breath as Dark Shadow roared before merging with Firefly and taking flight.</p><p>“No, stay back!!”<br/>“I’ll crush you!”</p><p>Dark Shadow swung his arms wildly, just barely missing Firefly as he approached. The light wove through the darkness, finding Tokoyami spilling tears in agony.</p><p>Firefly put his hand to Tokoyami’s chest, closing his eyes.</p><p>“Get out of here, Slim! <em>Now!</em>”<br/>“We know what it’s like to lose yourself in darkness. We won’t let that happen to you!”</p><p>Firefly focused inward, seeing his own light brighten. Firefly spotted an outline like Tokoyami in the darkness. He guided the light to the ghost, enveloping it and travelling into what appeared to be memories. A boy being afraid of others as they teased him. A small shadow emerging with nerves and curiosity as he became acquainted with his host.</p><p>The boy and shadow wandered through school, avoiding social situations. The nerves culminated when the boy saw bullies attack another student. He stepped in to help, but was repaid in kicks to the stomach. The shadow emerged from the boy’s stomach, brutally attacking the bullies. As the boy took in the event with horror, the world faded away, only leaving Firefly and the child.</p><p>“Who are you?”<br/>“I’m a friend. You were very brave helping your classmate.”<br/>“B-but Dark Shadow, he…”<br/>“It’s okay.” Firefly kneeled and offered a reassuring smile. “You acted to help others, and understand that what you did was…harsh. You’ve gotten control, right?”<br/>“Y-yeah…”<br/>“Don’t be sad. And you, Dark Shadow,” The ghost looked to the light, “Your actions are understandable. No one is blaming you, neither of you for what happened.”</p><p>Young Tokoyami sniffled as tears spilled, racing to hug Firefly. The light reciprocated the surprise hug, spreading his light out further as they separated.</p><p>“Be sure to embrace both your light and darkness, kiddos. They’ll both help you.”</p><p>The child and nodded as they faded away, Firefly returning to the real world. The small light backed up, taking in the new clearing they were in. The villain from earlier was down for the count, allowing Firefly to breathe a sigh of relief as he grew back to Slim and Dark Shadow retreated into an exhausted Tokoyami.</p><p>“Thank you, Slim. I…I’m sorry for-“<br/>“There’s no need to apologize,” Slim reassured, “We demons gotta stick together, right? It wasn’t your fault.”</p><p>Tokoyami looked up to Slim before smiling, taking his classmate’s extended hand and standing. Slim suddenly became dizzy, falling to the ground as he took in his injuries, which had only continued to bleed. The last thing he heard was Tokoyami and Shoji calling out his name.</p><p>Slim awoke to bright lights, seeing that he was once again in a hospital bed. The student was grateful that he wasn’t bound this time, but became nervous once he saw that he was alone. A doctor noticed Slim and walked in, giving a soft smile.</p><p>“It’s good to see you’re awake.”<br/>Slim nodded, “What happened after I passed out?”<br/>“Well, it sounds like you guys took down some big villains, but they also captured one of your classmates, Katsuki Bakugo. Do you know him?”<br/>“Bakugo was captured!?” Slim rose from the bed, “I gotta go and-“</p><p>“Easy son,” The doctor guided Slim back to bed as he seethed in pain. “You have a broken arm that was heavily bleeding. You’re in no condition to be moving around.”</p><p>Slim slowly regressed into the bed, “What about the rest of my class? Class 1-A of U.A. High?”<br/>“They’ll be alright. That’s all I can say because of patient privacy, but rest assured they’ll make a full recovery.”<br/>“That’s good. Thank you, sir.”<br/>“Just doing my job. Get some rest.”</p><p>Slim nodded as the doctor left, seeing a tv remote to his left. He turned on the tv, only to gasp in horror with Shade and Firefly as All Might stood in a city in ruins, looking like a skeleton and facing a suited villain with a frightening mask and voice, and devastating power.</p><p>“Who the hell is this guy?” Shade whispered with barely veiled fear.<br/>“And look at All Might…Isn’t he normally massive?” Firefly shook.<br/>“Whoever this villain is, it looks like they’ve met before.” Slim gulped. “Still, they have to…”</p><p>Slim released a heavy yawn, seeing a bag pumping sedative into his left arm. Slim tried to stay awake, but the last thing he saw was a glow from All Might, shouting out “United, States of…” before he fell asleep.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. New Grounds to Stand On</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Slim returned home the next day, right arm in a sling and left hand holding painkillers to be taken over the next month. He thought of trying to contact some of his classmates, but decided against it to ensure both their privacy and his own.</p><p>The door suddenly knocked, making Slim jump from the kitchen before answering with a surprised expression upon seeing the guest.</p><p>“Oh, hey All Might. What are you doing here?”<br/>“Hello young Slim,” The Hero smiled and waved; one of his arms was also in a sling like Slim, and bandages on his head. “May I come in?”<br/>“Y-yeah. Of course.”</p><p>Slim stepped aside, returning to the kitchen to continue putting away some dishes. “Do you want anything? I’ve got some tea in here.”<br/>“I’d appreciate it, thank you.”</p><p>Slim got to work, not noticing All Might looking around the apartment. It was relatively small, but worked well for only one person. There weren’t many photos around either, mainly some art pieces in frames or hanging posters. Even with the minimal additions, All Might still noticed something missing.</p><p>“Where are your parents, young Slim?”<br/>Slim looked away with a subtly sad expression as he put the tea on the table. “America.” <br/>All Might’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “You...live by yourself?”<br/>“Yes sir. I have two jobs, so they cover the rent.”<br/>Shade emerged slowly, “It's also helpful when you can switch body pilots if one gets tired.”<br/>All Might slowly frowned, “May I ask why? You surely have family here, right?”<br/>The student simply shook his head. “No, sir. I came here to...get away from less than ideal scenarios. Besides, what better place to learn hero work than where the Symbol of Peace went?”</p><p>All Might slightly gulped as he sat down. Slim sat on the other side, taking a cleansing breath as he drank his tea. All Might tasted his drink, smiling upon recognizing it.</p><p>“Strawberry tea. Very good, young Slim.”<br/>“Thank you, sir.” Slim looked to the Hero. “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you here?”<br/>“Well, I just visited young Midoriya about an offer from U.A., and I thought I’d give you the same offer while I’m here.”</p><p>Slim chuckled, “Always working, even when you’re bandaged and I’m assuming badly injured from what I saw and heard of the fight with that villain.”<br/>“I guess so.” All Might shared the laugh, “People need a Hero’s help, so we give it, right?”<br/>“But you won’t be able to anymore, will you?”</p><p>All Might’s eyes slightly widened before he nodded. “You’re right. I’ve officially retired from Hero work, but will still be at U.A., which is what we need to discuss.”<br/>“R-right, sorry for the sidetrack. What are you here for?”<br/>“We’d like to have you move into dormitories that are being built at U.A. It’ll help ensure that you and your classmates are safe and have better access to your education.”</p><p>Slim put down his cup, barely shaking as he looked to All Might. “I appreciate the offer sir, but that won’t be necessary. I’m fine here by myself.”<br/>All Might couldn’t hide his shock. “Can I ask why? You’ll live with your classmates and make even more friends.”<br/>Slim was quiet as he gathered his and All Might’s cups, speaking once he reached the kitchen. “I’m not exactly a social butterfly. Besides, I don’t want to be a burden.”</p><p>Slim reached forward with his broken arm, seething as it stung. All Might rose from his seat, quickly joining Slim in the kitchen. “Are you alright?”<br/>“I-I’m fine.”<br/>“Here, let me help you. As thanks for hosting me.”</p><p>Slim only nodded as All Might got to work washing the dishes. He watched Slim out of the corner of his eye, seeing Shade emerge and put the tea back in the cupboard before looking to Slim with annoyed and concerned eyes. The host only shook his head, guiding All Might to the living room and sitting in a chair. The former Symbol of Peace took the couch, watching the student carefully.</p><p>“Why do you want to stay here, if I may ask?”<br/>“I like it here. Few distractions, nice nature, a place to call my own. I don’t have to rely on others and be a burden here.”<br/>“You wouldn’t be a burden at U.A. young Slim.”<br/>“Still, it’s practical for the future when I’m a Pro.”<br/>“Slim, please, I know that U.A. will be able to accommodate you, like the other students.”<br/>“I’m sorry All Might, I just can’t.” <br/>“Why?”</p><p>“I…” Slim released a shaky breath. “I need to stay in case Dot needs a home. I’m gonna need to do this anyway when I’m a Pro, and I’ve been here by myself for a while, so I can manage.”<br/>“But you don’t have to, Slim. U.A. will-“<br/>“Please, sir.” Slim’s voice continued to waver. “I need to show myself that I can do this, that I can stand up and control myself enough so that others can come here if they need to. And…No one else will get hurt if I lose control again. I’m fine on my own.”<br/>All Might’s heart stung upon seeing Slim’s eyes, remembering what happened at the Sports Festival. “Slim, please look at me.”</p><p>Slim listened, tears slowly building in his eyes.<em><br/></em>All Might flinched upon seeing Slim’s full face. His eyes were a mix of yellow and gray, with heavy bags underneath. <br/>“Forgive me if this is blunt, but I can see the bags under your eyes. Now that I think about it, your school behavior makes sense. You always look more exhausted than others after exercises, and you’ve struggled to stay awake in classes. Am I wrong?”<br/>“I said I’m fine, sir. I still get good grades and performances, so you don’t need to worry about-“</p><p>Slim stopped as All Might gave him a soft hug.</p><p>“Take it from this bag of bones, I know it’s scary to be offered help. But not even Pros can always go it alone. You’ve done more than enough by coming here yourself and caring for others like you do. No good person would think of you as a burden with your selflessness and dedication to others. Please, let someone take care of <em>you</em> for a change.”</p><p>Slim squeaked in a breath before tightly returning the embrace, yellow and gray flames escaping his eyes as he cried. The Hero simply stayed there, feeling a few tears himself at thinking about just what could have driven his student down this path. Slim felt a burden come off of his mind and heart, giving All Might a smile as they separated.</p><p>“Thank you, All Might.”<br/>“Anytime, young Slim. Let me get out some papers to settle the move.”<br/>“Wait, what about my jobs?”<br/>“What do you mean? Do you want to stay with them?”<br/>“I…” Slim gulped and wiped his eyes, briefly thinking before giving a subtly resolute look. “I think…I think I’d like to focus on my studies.”<br/>“Good,” the Hero smiled. “I’ll talk with Aizawa and Principal Nezu; we’ll help you transition into the dorms smoothly.”<br/>“When can we move in?” Slim asked.<br/>“We’ll send you a letter in the mail, but move-in day is about a month away.”</p><p>Slim only nodded as he looked over the papers from All Might. The retired Symbol gave a subtle sigh of relief and smile upon seeing his student, who seemed to be lighter than when the teacher first arrived. Slim finished signing the papers, sliding them over to All Might.</p><p>“Thank you for this opportunity, sir.”<br/>“No problem at all, young Slim. You’ve more than earned it. I look forward to seeing you and the others at the dorm.”<br/>“Yeah.”</p><p>The teacher and student stood, shaking hands while exchanging looks and laughs at their similar states. Slim hesitated before approaching All Might, giving him a side hug to avoid injuring either of them further.</p><p>“Thank you again, All Might. Even if you’re retired, you’ll always be a hero to us.”<br/>All Might’s smile grew as he reciprocated the hug. “Thank you, young Slim. You’ll make a fine hero yourself one day.”<br/>Slim wiped his tearful eyes, giving the Symbol a bright smile with glowing green eyes. “I’ll see you at school then, I guess.”<br/>All Might nodded with his own smile, “I’m glad you accepted the offer, Slim. I’ll see you at U.A., young hero!”</p><p>Slim and All Might exchanged waves as the teacher left. The student took in a deep breath as the door closed, sitting back down on the couch and turning on the tv. Shade and Firefly slowly emerged, watching with their host.</p><p>“Guess we’re moving out of this place, huh?” Shade slightly smirked.<br/>“Who knows, maybe this’ll bring new opportunities!” Firefly smiled.<br/>“Guess we’ll have to see. For now, I just wanna relax.” Slim sighed, ending the conversation and focusing on the programming. While he was nervous about the prospect of being so close to others, the hero in training also looked forward to possibly seeing more of his friends and knowing them better.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. A New Home</h2></a>
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    <p>Slim walked again with Midoriya to U.A., both students giving one final goodbye to their homes. They were nervous, but were able to ease each other’s worries as they found the rest of Class 1-A talking with Aizawa about the tall buildings in front of them.</p><p>Shade whistled in awe at the extremely fast 3-day building time for the dorms. Slim looked over to Midoriya, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Kirishima and Iida as their teacher scolded them for recklessly rescuing Bakugo from the League. Slim wanted to comfort his uneased friends but was caught off guard by the loud crackles of electricity, laughing with the others as Kaminari emerged with Bakugo out of the bushes with his brain-dead expression and mannerisms.</p><p>“Wait a minute, where’s all our luggage?” Slim asked as they entered the dorm’s common space.<br/>
“All of your items have been brought to your rooms already.” Aizawa explained, “Take today to get unpacked and used to your surroundings, and <em>behave yourselves.</em> I don’t need any more chaos at my desk before we get back to work tomorrow.”</p><p>The tired teacher left with a sigh, leaving his students to look around them with awe. Slim appreciated the open nature of the commons area, with enough space for everyone and a large flat-screen tv. The kitchen was twice as large as the one at Slim’s apartment, something he had a feeling Sato would very much appreciate.</p><p>“Well, we shouldn’t be standing here all day!” Iida announced, “Let’s get all of our things unpacked, then meet back here!”</p><p>The group agreed, quickly splitting off to their rooms. Slim smiled upon seeing that Midoriya was next door to him again, the duo exchanging quiet chuckles at the situation before stepping in. Slim and Firefly beamed upon seeing the wide room they had. The bathroom and closet were both spacious enough, and Slim’s boxes were right outside the closet doors.</p><p>“Okay, I’ll admit. This was a pretty good idea.” Shade commented.<br/>
“Having our own bathroom is awesome! I thought we were gonna have to share with the others.” Slim sighed in relief as he opened one of the boxes. He pulled out a framed picture of him and Dot at a park, blushing upon remembering just how beautiful she was that day.</p><p>“Hey Lover Boy,” Shade exhorted, “where do you want this poster?”<br/>
“Put it over at that wall.” Slim pointed to the wall right of the bed. “Firefly, can you put this one over by the window?”</p><p>Firefly nodded as he grabbed another poster and followed Slim’s instruction. The trio kept going, unpacking clothes, snacks and more pictures to be hung around the room. They then began to fold and put away the clothes, playing some music and singing as they worked. Slim sighed as he sat on the bed, looking around the fruits of their small labor.</p><p>“Good job guys, we got that done pretty quick.” Slim offered his fist to his parts.<br/>
“Of course we did, did you expect anything else?” Shade smirked as he returned the fist bump.<br/>
“Yeah!” Firefly followed Shade’s action before looking to one last item. “Wait, where are we gonna put the Switch?”</p><p>Slim looked over to the console, trying to think of a place before realization crossed his mind.</p><p>“I didn’t see anything hooked up to the tv at the commons area. Why don’t we put it there? It’ll certainly give us a chance to hang out with the others more.”</p><p>Shade and Firefly nodded in agreement as Slim grabbed the system, moving it out to the common room and setting it just in front of the tv. Like the room, Shade and Firefly pitched in, setting up the cables while Slim got the tv working. After some trial and error, they managed to get everything working just as some of the other guys were coming in.</p><p>“Whatcha doing there, Slim?” Kirishima asked.<br/>
“Just setting up my Switch I brought from home. Anyone wanna play?”<br/>
“I’m in!” The redhead jumped over the couch and next to Slim.<br/>
“O-ho yeah! Count me in!” Kaminari sat on the other side, giving both Slim and Kirishima challenging smirks.</p><p>Sero also joined the group, which quickly became heated with competition. Taunts, cheers and groans traveled from each player. Just as it seemed to be reaching a peak, Ashido announced the girls’ presence with an odd smile, in Slim’s eyes at least.</p><p>“We should see who has the best room!” She suggested with sparkling eyes.<br/>
“Uh, why would we do that?” Slim asked.<br/>
“To see more of our neighbors! C’mon, aren’t you curious?”<br/>
“Not really.”<br/>
“I don’t see why not.” Kirishima shrugged. “Who knows, it might be fun!”<br/>
“I’m in!” “Me too!” Kaminari and Sero agreed, being followed by the other boys. The group looked to Slim and his parts for their answer.</p><p>“Eh, why the hell not.” Shade shrugged. “It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.”<br/>
“I’m in. What about you Slim?” Firefly looked to his host.<br/>
Slim slowly sighed. “Alright, we’re game.”<br/>
“Don’t worry Slim, this’ll be fun for everyone!” Uraraka nearly beamed.<br/>
“If you say so.”</p><p>Slim followed his classmates as they started with Iida’s room, seeing a wall lined with books and organized extensively by the owner’s account. Slim couldn’t help but smile at Kirishima’s room, seeing a punching bag and many inspirational art pieces throughout the space; the student chuckled upon seeing a clock on the wall with flexing muscles coming out of the sides.</p><p>The class collectively whistled upon seeing Todoroki’s room, completely revamped into a Japanese-style space, all from “hard work” by his testimony. Slim and his parts covered their eyes upon seeing Aoyama’s room, completely encased in shiny materials and reflective surfaces.</p><p>“Aagh!” Shade hissed. “What the hell, man!? Are you <em>trying</em> to blind us?”<br/>
“My apologies mon ami,” The student smirked. “I needed a room that would reflect my shining aura.”<br/>
“More like a goddamn <em>sun.</em>”</p><p>Shade found relief in Tokoyami’s room, completely dark save for some purple lights. Midoriya, Slim and his parts eyed their classmate’s sword with awe before the room’s owner kicked them out. Shade laughed upon seeing Midoriya’s All Might-themed room, Slim and Firefly trying to hide their snickers at all the merchandise. Posters and art lined the walls, with All Might-themed curtains and action figures on the shelves. Slim kept his smile as he got an idea.</p><p>“Hey guys, check it out.”</p><p>His classmates followed Slim as he shrunk with Firefly, striking a dynamic pose next to an action figure, complete with an almost too-wide grin.</p><p>“I am here!”</p><p>The class laughed at Slim’s antics, smiles carrying on as they toured the other rooms. Everyone was delighted with Sato’s treats he made, munching on them on the way. Slim just finished his snack when the class walked to his room. The student blushed nervously, but the class seemed to like his room’s simplicity and comfort. Slim stopped when he heard they were going to tour the girls’ rooms, subtly fidgeting. Yaoyorozu noticed, approaching her classmate.</p><p>“Are you alright?”<br/>
“Y-yeah, just…Are you sure it’s okay we see your guys’ rooms? We don’t want to invade any privacy.”<br/>
“Don’t worry Slim,” Hagakure approached, “the others will be there too, and we trust you, so it’s not that big a deal.”</p><p>Slim nodded with a thankful smile before rejoining his classmates. The group’s first stop was Jiro’s room, lined with red and black tiles on the floor and ceiling. The walls held posters and audio equipment, while the central space held various instruments.</p><p>“Hey Jiro, do you have a mic anywhere?” Slim asked with a smile.<br/>
“Y-yeah, why?” Jiro nervously blushed.<br/>
“Cool! I just thought it’d be fun if we all did karaoke or something eventually, like a bonding exercise. I sing myself, so it could help get some of us get out of our comfort zones a bit.”</p><p>The others agreed with Slim’s suggestion, though it was forgotten when they stepped into Yaoyorozu’s room. The bed was likely as big as the common room’s couch and took up most of the space. Slim and Uraraka nearly fainted upon hearing that the bedrooms were only as big as a closet at Yaoyorozu’s home.</p><p>The tour continued on, gaining lifted spirits from the class as they saw more and more. By the end, spirits were almost back to what they were before the camping trip. As Slim went to the kitchen for a snack, he noticed Uraraka ask Midoriya, Kirishima, Iida, and Yaoyorozu outside with a nervous face. Slim wanted to walk over, but he decided to focus on finishing his current task.</p><p>The outside group came back in as Slim was finishing a show, all carrying tired eyes. Slim walked over to Uraraka and Asui, who came in last behind Midoriya with especially exhausted faces.</p><p>“Hey, are you guys okay?” Slim inquired softly.<br/>
“Yeah, we’re okay. Just had to get something off our chests.” Uraraka slowly nodded before looking to Asui.<br/>
“I appreciate your concern, Slim. But Uraraka’s right.” Asui slightly croaked.<br/>
“Okay. If you guys ever need something, let me know, okay?” Slim slowly put his hand on Uraraka’s shoulder.</p><p>The normally bubbly girl nodded as she and her friend walked off to bed. Slim looked to the clock with a yawn, seeing that it was quite late. The student decided to head off to bed himself, reflecting on the slightly chaotic day. It felt odd to be away from the apartment, but knowing that his friends were closer and willing to spend extra time with him as a housemate reassured the aspiring hero in training.</p><p>Slim took one final breath, settling into sleep with a smile, ready for whatever tomorrow brought.</p>
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